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by Wendy Perrin
Guy Rubin, Imperial Tours, Beijing
There’s no danger of being taken advantage of by the more pernicious elements of China’s tourism machine when you’re traveling under Rubin’s wing: no dining in Government-run restaurants, no shopping in sub-par state-run souvenir stores (most companies’ guides get kickbacks for steering travelers to them). That’s because all of Rubin’s clients are accompanied by a local guide and a Western escort. Although any snags are ironed out immediately by your at-hand troubleshooter, this means that you’re committed to traveling with an entourage. With the recent introduction of his lower-priced, non-escorted tours for more independent travelers, however, you’ll still get Rubin’s expertise and insider access but at a more affordable cost (Minimum price per day for two people: $1600.) (888 888 1970).
What Else Can Guy Do?
• View medieval-era cave paintings -- open only to art historians, academics and you -- with an expert guide.
• Make a kite in Beijing with the grandson of the last emperor's official kite maker.
• Dine at the private home of Chairman Mao's personal chef.
• Play table tennis with an Olympic champion.
• Tour a Qing dynasty emperor's private chambers within Beijing's Forbidden City.
• Tour a Beijing or Shanghai wet market with a master chef and then cook with him.
• Watch, and take part in, a summer horseback festival in Tibet.
More About Guy
I have lived in China for many years now. I have a house, my two sons were born here, and yet as you can see in my photograph I have not a drop of Chinese blood in me. About seven years ago, a Chinese colleague in the travel industry completely out of the blue asked, “I realize now that you truly love China. Why?”
By way of an answer, though it may sound somewhat outrageous to admit to it, I would say that with the exception of the impact of technology, China’s development and future will be the most transformative event of my lifetime. Like a dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant, by living here I am fortunate enough to be completely absorbed participating in this historic shift.
The immensity and diversity of China - cultural, geographical, ethnic, historical, political, economic and social - is compounded by the breadth and depth of the cultural gap that exists between her and the west and consequently by the tremendous challenge set by her intriguing exoticism.
What do I or you assume are enduring Chinese values? And then, a far harder follow-up question - what do you think Chinese people assume about me or you? How would the responses of a Beijinger and a Shanghainese be different? Are Chinese, as everyone repeats, the most pragmatic people in the world? Or are they the most astonishingly idealistic? People talk about real China? Where is this? Is China one of the wealthiest countries in the world, or is it still relatively poor?
My role in the luxury travel community is to encourage communication between cultures. It is to make China more accessible, and in this way to foster understanding. Let me tempt you here with glorious destinations of unimagined splendor and beauty. I will entice you with insider access at fashion designers’ studios and palaces normally closed to the general public; lure you with introductions to inspiring novelists, talented artists and prestidigious musicians. Cradle a baby panda, walk the Great Wall, circumambulate the Potala Palace. Do this and more in the greatest comfort with flawless logistics. Ultimately though, what I want for you and your fellow travelers is to follow in my footsteps into becoming fascinated by this exotic, intriguing and sophisticated culture and people.
©Sept 2010 Condé Nast Traveler
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